We were honoured with the presence of some very special guests on Thursday the 21st of March. Mick O'Brien, Eric Rigler, Sebastien Petiet (violin/fiddler:) and Séamus (flaut/flutist:) from the RTE Concert Orchestra.

A photo taken by a M. Donovan of Skibbereen around the 20's possibly. Anyone know the piper? I copied this picture from ebay, if there is a problem with me doing this please let me know.

Follow Up: 12/07/03: This past weekend I received an email from this subjects Grandson, Mr. Michael Masterson, asking for further information on the photo and it's whereabouts. He also included more information on his Grandfather and four more photos:

“Bernie (Bernard Joseph) O’Donovan was born in 1888 in Skibbereen, son of Michael Donovan and Eliza Hallihane. Michael Donovan was a jeweler and correspondent for the Cork Examiner, as far as I can tell. The address I have is West End House, Townsend Street, Skibbereen.

Bernie was known as the Carberry Piper. He emigrated to America in 1908, and came to Chicago. He is mentioned in Captain O’Neill’s book (Irish Folk Music: A Fascinating Hobby…) and is pictured on page 127 with his pipes. He married Catherine Murphy and had three children, one of them my father. Bernie was killed in a car accident in 1923.”

If anyone can help in locating the first photo here please contact Mr. Michael Masterson at mdmasterson@yahoo.com

Follow Up: 05/04/09: Another photo of The Carberry Piper has surfaced. This time at a younger age. It is from the National Library of Ireland's website. The photo was flipped backwards on their website, I have taken the liberty to correct it. It states: "Group, including pipers, outside Town Hall after Feis, Waterford. Reproduction Rights owned by the National Library of Ireland. Library Reference Number: PWP1316". There seems to be quite a resemblance between some of the children. I wonder if this is a family picture? Or might the gentleman to the right be their music teacher with his students at the feis?

Follow Up: 12/12/03: Terry Moylan sent me an email with two very nice attachments. Terry took these pictures at the 1971 Termonfechin Tionól. I have left the original so you can see the improvement in quality and colour. I never knew Séamus owned a blue suit, very striking with the red carnation! Thank you very much to Terry for sharing these with us, they are a wonderful addition to the site.

[the dimensions of the new files are 1200x875, a suitable size for desktop wallpaper]

This is a Craig Fischer flute made in 1998 that belongs to a certain someone that I know. Lovely instrument!

This is a photo of Kate Bush 'playing' a nice looking set. I don't know who made them, perhaps they belong to Liam O'Flynn as he played on her Hounds of Love album? Or maybe it's a set of Davy Spillanes as he played on her Sensual World album.

Update 01/11/06: Tommy Keane on his visit to us for our 2006 So Cal Tionól told me that the set Kate is holding are Tommy McCarthy's Rowsome set. The set that he was playing on his visit out here. They were collected by limo from Tom McCarthy’s house in London for the photo shoot.

Todd Denman, in need of a good nights rest, playing a lovely B Wooff set ;)